Explainer: Technical terms - Scope

Communication
3G, 4G – the wireless (radio) system used by mobile phones for speech, and by
many computing devices for transmitting data. 3G and 4G signals can
travel a long way. Phones and tablets often connect directly with 3G
and 4G, but computers usually need a USB device called a 3G
dongle.
Network – two or more computers connected together, including the cabling
and other equipment that makes it work.
USB –
Wi-fi –
a way of connecting devices to computers. A USB cable is usually
plugged into the computer and device, although some devices like
USB flash drives plug directly into the computer without a cable.
the wireless (radio) system that computers use to talk to local
networks. Wi-fi can be very fast but its radio signals don’t travel far.
Storage
Compact disc (CD) – a 12cm flat disc that stores music for playing on a CD
player or stores data for reading by computers. Usually stores around
74 minutes of music or 700MB of data.
Digital versatile disc (DVD) – disc that looks almost identical to a CD but
stores video for playing on a DVD player or stores data for reading by
computers. A DVD stores much more than a CD – usually two hours
of video or 4.7GB of data.
Flash drive – a small and portable solid state drive (see below) that connects to
the computer’s USB port.
Hard drive – a physical device for storing computer files. Usually 3.5” or 5”
wide, hard drives can be installed into computers or in portable cases.
Most hard drives contain disks that spin at high speed, and store files
using magnetism.
Solid state drive (SSD) - newer hard drives have no moving parts – they are
made of solid silicon. They’re very fast, use less power and are hard to
break. They’re also very expensive.